


I Can't Believe That Anything Should Happen

by Startedwith1Whisper



Category: The Orville (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, First Dance, First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, Kelly plays matchmaker, Post-Mission, Schrodinger's Problem, Ship Prom, romantic confessions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-08
Updated: 2017-12-08
Packaged: 2019-02-12 02:52:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12949722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Startedwith1Whisper/pseuds/Startedwith1Whisper
Summary: Ed and Alara find themselves inconveniently in love with each other and reluctant to tell the other. Kelly does some prodding.





	I Can't Believe That Anything Should Happen

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from the song Gordon, as the prom DJ, plays: Tal Bachman's "She's So High"  
> Alara's dress, for those who are curious: https://www.couturecandy.com/terani-couture-1722e4201-halter-neckline-ombre-evening-gown/

After the latest successful mission, Kelly decided the crew should celebrate by throwing a ship-wide prom, like the ones high school students on old Earth went to-DJ, rubber chicken, chocolate fountain, photo booth, fancy civilian clothes in lieu of uniforms, the whole shebang. Ed doubted her at the time.  
Now that it’s actually happening, he has to admit that it was a great idea. The DJ turned out to be Gordon, and he’s doing a really good job, playing a lot of 21st century stuff and keeping the mood up. So far the only problem-although, due to general heightened morale, it seems to be less of a problem than usual-has been Yaphit’s endless attempts to hit on Claire.  
Well, there **is** one other problem, but it (1) isn’t really a problem outside of Ed’s mind and (2) is also, to his mind, one of the best things about the prom-and about life on the ship, for that matter. The problem/not problem-a Schrodinger’s problem, perhaps?-is a certain Xelayan security officer. For Kermit’s sake, Lt. Alara Kitan-her strength, her determination, her loyalty to her fellow officers-has haunted his dreams for months. The fact that her gown seems to be draped over her athletic figure isn’t the slightest bit helpful there.  
It’s true, at one point he’d wanted to get back together with Kelly, but they both know it’d be a bad idea if they tried it. Since accepting that, he’s been able to admit to himself his feelings for Alara-but he’s denied their intensity until now. As much as he may not want to admit it, he thinks he’s in love with her.  
Finally, he’s forced to momentarily head to his quarters to collect his thoughts.

As Ed heads to his quarters, Alara can’t help but look in his direction. She’s unaware of Kelly’s approach until she hears the other woman’s voice at her side. “You have feelings for him, don’t you?”  
Her reaction is automatic. “What? I-I’m sure I don’t know who you’re talking about, Commander.”  
Kelly gives her a kind but skeptical look. “First, nobody has to use formal titles tonight, remember? Second, come on, Alara. I’ve seen the way you look at him. You’ve had feelings for Ed, maybe even been in love with him, for a while, haven’t you?”  
Alara lowers her eyes and nods.  
“Why couldn’t you have just told me that?”  
“Why couldn’t I have just told you that?!” Alara hisses, making sure no one but the blonde can hear her. “Th-there are just **so** many reasons why! First off, you’re his ex-wife! I think you still want to get back together with him, or he still wants to get back together with you, or something! And you’re the First Officer on top of that!”  
“Alara-”  
“And that’s just why I couldn’t tell **you**! Then there are all the **other** reasons why the whole thing’s a bad idea-the power differential, the paperwork, the inevitable teasing from Gordon and John-my God, my ridges! I mean, going from a beautiful woman like you to a freak like me? There’s no way a man like him would want to be with me. I’d make a laughingstock of him.”  
Kelly sees Alara’s mournful face and puts her hand on the Xelayan woman’s upper arm. “Well, you have nothing to worry about. I won’t tell anyone about your feelings. There is paperwork, yes, but if the two of you decide to get together-which, judging by the way you two look at each other, is a distinct possibility-you can as long as you get all the paperwork in order. Yes, there is a part of me that still wants to reconcile with Ed and probably always will, but it’s not going to happen-we’re just not compatible in that way. Even if we could work as a couple again, I don’t care about that as much as I care about him and all of my friends being happy. If the two of you decide to get together and you’re happy together, I’ll support both of you. Gordon and John might tease you whenever they find out, but that shouldn’t be too much of a problem-it’d be lighthearted teasing, their boneheaded way of trying to bond with their colleagues, and you can always kick their asses if they drag the joke out too long. I’ve seen Ed look at you when you don’t notice it and he looks at you the way Valondis looked at me on the multiphasic planet when it worshipped me, so I don’t think your ridges even register. He just sees what the rest of us see-a woman who’s strong and beautiful, both inside and out. And he’s amazingly attracted to that woman-I’m pretty sure that he loves her, that he loves you.”  
“Really?”  
“Really.”  
Alara shakes her head in disbelief. “Wow. So should I tell him how I feel?”  
“Well, I think you should tell him, considering how perilous some of our missions get, but I’ll support you in whatever decision you make.”  
A relieved smile crosses Alara’s face. “Thanks for all your help, Kelly.”  
Kelly smiles back. “You’re welcome."

Ed’s door chimes. “Come in,” he calls.  
Alara steps into the doorway. “Are you OK, Captain-I mean, Ed?”  
He nods. “I’m fine, Alara-I just had something to think about.”  
“Do you want to talk about it?”  
“Depends. The listener in question is neither Bortus nor Isaac, right?”  
“Right. It’s actually me.”  
Ed blows out a breath. “Whew. OK, here’s what’s I’ve been thinking about-I’m in love with a woman on this ship, have been for a few months if I’m being honest with myself, but I don’t know whether or not to tell her.”  
“Well, a wise woman once told me that with all the perilous missions on this ship, if you’re in love with someone or have any other information they need to know, you should tell them.”  
Ed nods with a grin. “A wise woman indeed-there’s no shortage of those on this ship. Thanks, Alara.”  
His grin makes Alara’s heart feel full enough to burst. She smiles back and steps back into the hall. “You’re welcome. Ready to rejoin the party?”  
“Yeah.”  
“Good, ‘cause if you weren’t, I’d just pick you up and carry you back!”  
They laugh and walk back into the prom with their arms linked. Gordon cues up his next track-another 21st century song, Tal Bachman’s “She’s So High”. Ed can’t help but notice how the lyrics relate to his feelings. He screws up his courage, turns to the woman next to him, and asks the question he’s wanted to ask her all night: “Alara, may I have this dance?”  
She giggles. “I thought you’d never ask!”  
They settle into a mid-tempo movement that fits the beat. During the first chorus, Ed mutters “It’s you.”  
“What?”  
“What I was thinking about, what we talked about, the woman I’m in love with-it’s you. You’re a beautiful person, Alara Kitan, and I love you.”  
She smiles and bites her lip. “Oh, that makes me feel so much better, because I love you, too.”  
They briefly kiss and resume dancing.  
Kelly’s standing at the bar, watching the new couple with the proud eye of a successful old-Earth matchmaker. She smiles and raises her glass, murmuring “Cheers, guys.”


End file.
